On the 8th, demonstrators in the US city of Seattle announced the establishment of an "autonomous region" - the "Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone".
The nationwide protests sparked by the Death of a Black man continue to stage unexpected bridges. According to a number of foreign media reports, on the evening of the 8th local time, the demonstrators in Seattle Occupied the East Branch of the Seattle Police Department located on Capitol Hill and temporarily suspended, and announced the establishment of the "Capitol Hill Autonomous Region". On the same day, the Seattle Police Department announced a reduction in its police presence in the area, saying it would allow demonstrators to conduct peaceful protests. Fox News mentioned the area was a "flashpoint" for clashes between police and demonstrators.
The green area in the picture is the so-called "Capitol Hill Autonomous Region" established by the demonstrators
Fox News said on the evening of the 9th that the Seattle Police Department sent a memorandum to the police on the 8th, saying that it had decided to lift the street blockade and withdraw the police force. But while the police withdrew, the demonstrators remained where they were.
Screenshot of Fox News report
That night, the area changed.
According to local media reports, demonstrators announced the erection of barricades near the Seattle Police Department's East Branch, designating six blocks as "autonomous communities." According to Russia Today (RT), demonstrators declared the area "Capitol Hill Autonomous Region" or "Free Capitol Hill Zone."
Demonstrators set up barricades outside the East Branch in the Seattle Police Department on June 8 Source: Reuters
Demonstrators write signs on barricades: You are entering the "Free Capitol Hill"
According to live photos posted on social media, demonstrators doodled various buildings, barricades and streets filled with slogans such as "George Floyd," "Police Withdrawal," "Can't Breathe," and "You're Entering the Free Capitol Hill."
Image source: Social media
RT also mentioned that demonstrators were posting leaflets in the so-called "autonomous communities" demanding the "withdrawal of the police," saying that the police were "usually racist because capitalism requires inequality."
Fox quoted local reporters as saying that Seattle transportation enforcement officers later came to the area to remove some of the barricades, but left most of them after "negotiations" with demonstrators. Demonstrators say they hope this will keep "white supremacists out."
The anti-racial discrimination protest demonstrations triggered by the death of African-American man George Floyd by the US police law enforcement incident continued to ferment, and the curfew was imposed in the largest city of New York from the 1st, and the curfew continued in Philadelphia, Seattle and other places. Seattle police have strained relations with demonstrators in recent days. According to Fox News, local police used tear gas, flash grenades, pepper spray and others to control demonstrators, but it sparked thousands of complaints about police behavior. Over the weekend, the city of Seattle announced that it would ban police from using tear gas against demonstrators for 30 days. On the afternoon of the 8th, Seattle police announced that the police presence in the eastern region was reduced, allowing peaceful demonstrations. More than 25 police officers were injured in Seattle during the last two weeks of protests.